Through the "look"ing glass

LOOK - Kenzie Sockey

They say inspiration is all around us; boy are they right.

I stumbled upon the piece "Look" by Kenzie Sockey in the Mooseville Art Museum. The work was inspiring and moving. It made me think about how inspiration can be drawn from the simplest of items.

To convey my gratitude on the creation of "Look," I personally wrote a letter to the artist expressing my feelings. While it was written with a business format in mind to appear professional, I allowed my poetic language to spill forth. Art speaks to art after all.

Simply writing a boring business style letter seemed like an unfitting thank you to give to an artist -- even if I did use flowery language. I decided to spruce things up by creating a one-of-a-kind envelope for her based off the photos.

I gathered the basic materials. Inspired by the word "look" and the vintage colors scheme, I chose to use what was around me. Left over thank you cards in various patterns and colors, along with a near by paper bag, make up most of the envelope. However, this can easily be done with different materials (scrapbook paper, card stock, etc.) to fit any occasion.

The total list of materials is as follows:

1. Markers

2. Ruler

3. Scissors

4. Envelope

5. Paper bag

6. Tape

7. Washi tape (optional)

8. Decorative hole punch (optional)

I began first by labeling all segments of the envelope. This includes the front and the top, left, right, and bottom flaps on the back. After they were labeled, I cut along the seam. This envelope will serve as a template. I then traced the pieces onto the paper bag and cut them out individually. To make the process easier, I arranged all the pieces to look like the envelope.

Taping this can be tricky. I chose to have what would be the "inside" of the envelope facing downwards. I then placed pieces of tape on the table with the sticky-side up. This makes it easier to line up the edges of the pieces. Then, I began layering the parts together piece by piece.

If there are any stray pieces of tape, or the line up is not perfect, do not worry. This will make up the inside of the envelope and no one will see the mistakes.

I then refolded and sealed the left, right, and bottom flaps of the envelope together with additional tape. My envelope is folded with the bottom flap first, then the right and left on top of it. The order of the flaps does not particularly matter; it will simply alter the appearance of the envelope slightly.

To seal the envelope, I used a decorative hole punch, tape, and a left over card to make the seal on the back. This is not necessary. If you want, you can tape the top flap close with washi or regular tape.

This makes up the base envelope! The following steps are optional.

I chose to make my envelope look more "vintage" by stripping away some of the patterned print with tape. The piece of tape would rip away small portions of the ink and create a worn out appearance on the paper.

To mimic the rainbow in the letter "L," I chose to use some colorful spare cards to decorate the front. The decorative hole punches added a contrast in shapes. I cut edges into the circular shapes to copy the shape of the glasses in the photo. Lastly, I used white washi tape to represent the letter "K" in the photo.

The lettering style on the front was done in marker. My handwriting is tailored to follow the same font Disney uses. I felt the font would add additional whimsy that would please an artist.

With the envelope done, I slipped my thank you note into the custom-made vessel. I hand delivered the letter the next day to the artist herself at a Mooseville Art Museum meet and greet. The room was packed with artists and their admirers, each with their own unique envelope in hand.

One particular envelope stood out to me. This envelope, left out on a desk, caught my attention with its beautiful gold writing. The contrast of metallic gold on the dark paper was pleasing to the eye. I especially loved the elegant swirls of each letter. The style of the envelope seemed to be the polar opposite of mine. The design was so elegant and refined while mine gave off the vibe of childish wonder.

I assumed the style drew from the artist the envelope-maker was so inspired by. Perhaps it is the style of the maker themselves. This, is the beauty of art.

The variety in envelope and art styles differ according to our view of the world as it is shown through our very own looking glass.